Web Based Workforce Management Software Systems & Solutions for Retailers

Workforce Management Solutions for Retail

The Guide to Workforce Management for Retail

Download the new Retail Workforce Management Solutions brochure (PDF)

Download the WorkPlace Case Study: Country Road(PDF)

Download the WorkPlace Case Study: Metro(PDF)

Aberdeen Group benchmark report. Receive a free copy.

Retail

Problems

Retailers are turning to workforce management solutions to allow them to achieve more for the same, or the same for less.
They can improve customer service by resolving periods of understaffing and reduce costs by eliminating periods of overstaffing.
Store managers are spending far too much time behind desks building schedules and authorising attendance instead of using their valuable skills on the sales floor.
And having built those valuable schedules, how they can be improved for the next time?

Solution

WorkPlace Systems workforce management solutions feature:

Interfaces to historical information from POS, customer counting devices, delivery systems and price optimisation solutions.
Forecasting algorithms to accurately predict the complete demand for work for every task in every store at quarter hour level.
An optimisation core that matches the supply of staff to the demand for work using colleague flexibility in employment contracts and multi-skilling.
An ideal schedule for new stores or peak periods that highlight the difference between ideal and actual.
Absence management module.
Time and Attendance module including hardware.
Advanced reporting capabilities for Head and Regional Offices.
'Board-to-store' level budgeting and scenario modelling application to directly translate strategy into action and influence the allocation of store hours across the year.

All delivered via a browser even to colleagues if necessary via a web kiosk.

Benefits

Save up to 5% of costs by a reallocation of premium payments and a reduction of in-store hours.
Improve customer service by matching customer volumes with customer facing staff.
Reduce labour turnover by planning schedules around store staff's individual working time preferences, re-planning flexible contracts to more closely fit in with the store operating model - leading to reduced costs through reduced recruitment and training of new recruits.
Reduce errors in over-payment and reduce un-authorised absence through better visibility of attended hours.
Comply with local labour and Health & Safety laws through rule-based scheduling.
Reduce the time spent by valuable store managers in scheduling creation and attendance management.
Provide HQ with near-instantaneous feedback on store operations.

Client Quotes

"We chose WorkPlace Systems because they proved their understanding of the problem and how to solve it as well as having the right products available to deliver it."

Next spokesman

"WorkPlace Systems impressed us with their support, guidance and response to changes during the implementation of their Workforce Management system which ensured the project was delivered with the minimum of fuss and disruption and on time."

Andrew Gordon, Retail Business Improvement Manager, Focus (DIY) Ltd

"WorkPlaces’ Workforce Management solution is easy to operate and change, reducing paperwork and time spent in administration and the output schedules easy to use and read, ensuring the store colleagues understand when they are to work and in what departments."

Andrew Gordon, Retail Business Improvement Manager, Focus (DIY) Ltd

"WorkPlace Systems were able to demonstrate real benefits in a very short time, delivering an immediate impact on our business."

Paul Swainson, UK Retail Director, Travelex

"The customers are the big winners. Our stores actually improved customer service with a 50% reduction in queue length and at the same time realised labour savings of 3% to 7%. The key to this was the ability to build schedules based not simply on sales, but also on item, invoice, register, customer service, task management and historical data among others. Meanwhile store management benefited by spending 20 fewer hours per week building forecasts and schedules."

Berthold Steur, Project Manager, Metro Cash & Carry

"WorkPlace Systems were able to uniquely redesign and create new rosters that were acceptable to staff, reduced overall spend on labour and assisted in improving customer service by ensuring specified service levels were met, more than justifying our investment in WorkPlace software and services."

David Thomas, Business Development Manager, Country Road

Client References

Industry Ranges

Retail Workforce Management - Scheduling, Time & Attendance and Management Information